Burke welcomes ban on vaping for children

Minister Peter Burke, Minister for European Affairs, has welcomed that from Friday December 22, vapes and e-cigarrette sales to U18s are illegal.

“This is a common-sense move, as we see more and more young people using vapes, despite the mounting evidence that they are dangerous and hazardous to health,” said the minister of state.

“It is now an offence to sell one of these products to a child, and the offence carries a penalty of a fine of up to €4,000 and/or up to a six-month term of imprisonment.

“The law has been introduced under the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill, which contains wide-ranging measures to tackle smoking and vaping among children and adults. Further measures focus on preventing young people from beginning to smoke or vape to protect their health.

“More measures will be in place in early 2024, including prohibiting the sale of vapes at events for children; prohibiting the self-service sale of vapes; the introduction of a strict licensing system for vapes and the prohibition of advertising of vapes on public transport.

“We know that teenage years are formative, so we have to reduce the incidence of vaping as we have done with cigarette smoking to protect young people from disease and ill-health in the future.

“Further research needs to be carried out on vaping, but this ban is a common-sense measure that will benefit our children and young people into the future”.